Being prolife equals more than words

In a recent guest commentary on the web site of the Grand Rapids Press, Michigan gubernatorial Rick Snyder claims that he is "pro-life" and "strongly believe(s) in the rights of the unborn."

Rick Snyder may claim to be "pro-life" and "believe in the rights of the unborn" but his financial support for the Proposal 2 campaign to legalize the killing of human embryos for research in Michigan proves otherwise. Individuals who truly believe in the rights of the unborn don't give $2,000 to a campaign whose goal was to legalize lethal experiments on the most vulnerable unborn children, human embryos. If Rick Snyder was truly prolife, he wouldn't have supported an effort which treats unborn children like they are mere commodities to be experimented on and killed at a researcher's whim.

In the guest commentary, Snyder goes on to argue that he can lower the abortion rate in Michigan "by focusing primarily on the economy." Governor Jennifer Granholm was another politician who claimed to be 'personally pro-life," but during her time in office Governor Granholm vetoed a number of prolife bills.

While the strength of the economy may have an effect on the number of abortions, the number of abortions performed in Michigan has lowered dramatically over the last 2 decades during economic good times and bad times. Michigan's abortion and economic history provides a great example of how prolife laws can do much more to lower the number of abortions than a thriving economy.

The highest number of recorded annual abortions in Michigan occurred in 1987 when 49,098 abortions were reported to the Michigan Department of Community Health. The unemployment rate ranged from 8.2% to 8.4% during 1987. In 2008, there were 25,970 abortions performed in Michigan, while the unemployment rate ranged from 7.0% to 10.6%. This huge reduction (47.1%) in the number of annual abortions obviously wasn't caused by a drastically improved economy. Instead, the reduction of abortions performed in Michigan can be largely attributed to important prolife laws and prolife educational efforts. Various pieces of prolife legislation, including a ban on tax-funded abortions, parental consent, informed consent, and ultrasound viewing option, have been catalysts in the lowering of Michigan's previously steep abortion rate.

Also, every candidate for governor is going to be spending a lot of time focusing on improving Michigan's economy. Wouldn't Michigan be better off with a prolife candidate who wants to improve the economy than a candidate who thinks his plan to improve the economy makes him "pro-life."